Fayetteville babysitter charged with abusing infant

A 35-year-old mother is charged with severely injuring a four-month-old child she was babysitting last spring, but the parents of the child want the woman out of jail, citing accidental injuries.

On Monday, Yanin Del Valle was arrested and charged with felony child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury. According to an arrest warrant, Del Valle was babysitting a four-month-old in late April when she allegedly hurt the child, causing two broken legs, a brain injury, and retinal hemorrhaging. Del Valle called 911 for help. The incident reportedly happened in victim's home.

Del Valle made her first appearance in Cumberland County Detention Center court Tuesday afternoon, accompanied by her attorney, P.R. Moss. Moss attempted to have Del Valle's $75,000 bond reduced, telling Judge Lou Olivera that Del Valle had already been investigated by DSS for the claims, cleared and allowed to keep her own three children.

Moss also defended Del Valle by saying she'd been an employable military wife for 17 years, with no prior record. Because of a pending divorce, she said Del Valle needed to get out of jail and tend to the couple's children, of whom she has full custody.

The parents of the now 8-month-old girl appeared in support of a lowered bond, but Olivera said the matter had to go before a screener, and because of that he was ill-prepared to make a bond motion on Tuesday.

Del Valle's husband also showed up to court. He and the baby's parents declined to speak with ABC11, but Moss stopped for comment.

"The alleged victim's parents are here and they want her out of jail, so that's what I'm going to try to do," Moss said. "They have known her for years and they said it was an accident. Absolutely. Absolutely."

Moss said she was retained hours before the first appearance and wanted to figure out how charges surfaced this week with a DSS investigation that cleared Del Valle and the infant's parents.

Investigators say the severity of those injuries indicates whatever happened in the home was not an accident.

"Of course a four-month-old child is continuing to develop, but to break the legs, that's a significant injury," said Lt. Todd Joyce, a spokesman for the Fayetteville Police Department. "Falls from just a few feet, those injuries don't occur like that."

Del Valle remains in the Cumberland County jail under a $75,000 bond. Her next court appearance is August 5.